2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This paper outlines the Year 1 activities for a Research in Emerging Technologies for Teaching and Learning (RETTL) project about identifying threshold concepts in the field of cyber-physical systems (CPSs). Threshold concepts when mastered, are said to lead to a transformed understanding of the subject – in this case, CPS design – and a shift in the students’ identity within the field’s context. Given the cruciality of these concepts to a field, not just CPS, the premise of threshold concepts has been used to unpack student misconceptions and design the formative learning experiences necessary for students to master a subjects’ core ideas. In this project, we are developing a table-top testbed for learning the core concepts in CPS design and using the system to identify which of these concepts constitute threshold concepts within the field.

Year 1 focused on prototyping a tangible physical computing testbed that simulates real-world grid operations. The custom-designed tabletop platform replicates key cyber-physical grid components, including generators, consumer and prosumer entities, and grid control servers. These elements interact through a distributed node architecture, enabling the study of grid dynamics, fault management, and optimization strategies. The testbed can wirelessly collect and analyze real-time power metrics across the network. Custom-built fault injection mechanisms simulate critical events like short circuits, open circuits, and power overloads, with visual and auditory alerts providing immediate feedback on grid performance.

For the educational research component of our project, we conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) on threshold concepts discussed in the literature of fields related to CPS - such as systems engineering, computer science, and electrical engineering while prototyping was under way. Our SLR was motivated by fruitless direct searches for threshold concepts in the interdisciplinary and emerging field of CPS, leading us to curate a list of existing threshold concepts in CPS-related fields and determine their relevance to CPS characteristics grounded by the conceptualization of such systems by Horvath and Gerritsen. To expand on the findings of the SLR, we conducted a three round Delphi Study with 11 CPS experts working within different focus areas, including smart grids, autonomous systems, and machine learning. We completed the study in Fall 2024 and are currently conducting our final synthesis of the results.

This paper will present the preliminary results of the Delphi study, the major findings of our systematic literature review, and functionality of the prototype testbed. As we move forward in the project, we will integrate our findings from the educational research strand to inform the development of features within the testbed. We anticipate the testbed paired with our deeper understanding of the threshold concepts in CPS will enable more collaborative approaches to learning about such systems.